"Little People Big World"

[Allison]

one of the things that strikes me about this show is how reliant matt is on his parents and his kids to do things around the farm. the kids drive/operate heavy equipment and seem to be expected to enlist free labor from their friends for the operation of the farm. i have to wonder, as these kids reach adulthood if they will want to 'break free' of this type of life and pursue college (away from home) and careers-how this combined with the natural aging and loss of matt's parents will impact matt's ability to operate/maintain the farm.

i also wonder when i see the episodes where the kids in clearly unsafe manners (barefoot/without appropriate protective gear) operate the machinery/vehicals-and left to their own engage in unsafe activites that sometimes result in televised injuries (rusty nail wounds, gashes, heads getting slammed)-how many calls the local social services agency must receive. i am always floored at the heavy equipment and power tools that just seem to be openly available to the kids to use unsupervised at their own discretion.

Honestly, this is pretty common for a farm. I grew up in a very rural area. Almost everyone lived on a farm and that is the way life was. I drove a tractor and a combine and mowed hay and things like that. We had all sorts of equipment on our farm that was openly available.

I would be highly surprised if anyone made phone calls about it.

 

[OhMari]

Most of you probably know this, but Matt was an Ewok on the Star Wars film and also 2 more films that George Lucas made about Ewok's.

 

[Melwood23]

I love the show.

I see Amy and Matt's relationship being very similar to other couples I have known. The man is usually a dreamer, having all sorts of big ideas, no matter what the expense, and the wife being the practical one, but usually just lets their husbands do what they want, but once in awhile just plain putting her foot down. The kids seem to do things when the parents aren't watching, which again seems typical. The problem is they are forgetting that the world is watching, and some people would be very critical of how the kids are allowed to do this...or do that etc.
As for Matt getting kids' friends to do free labor...hey..Matt is a saleman, and most saleman I know, will try to get anything for free, or cheap, thus saving THEM money.
I do like the way Matt got around that deck railing issue. Just pile the dirt up

 

[Sherri]

Does anyone else find the father in this family to be very condescending to the rest of his family? Both my adult DD and I feel this way - he reminds us very much of someone we know in real life..

I found this show by accident about a month and a half ago and while I think it's very interesting, where do they get the money to live the lifestyle that they do? Expensive trips; ATV's for the kids; expensive farm machinery; the "very best grill available"; a 35-acre farm; etc.? Did they have money prior to the show - or is it money that they have made from being on the show?

I'm not much for reality shows, but I do find this one quite interesting - as well as "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders - Making The Team"..

I love that show. I always love finding it when flipping through the channels. I just think the Dad wants the very best for his kids.
I also have seen him give them really good advice. He tries to expose them to many different experiences. I really like the Mom, Dad and the kids. I also love Matts parents.

 

[barkley]

Honestly, this is pretty common for a farm. I grew up in a very rural area. Almost everyone lived on a farm and that is the way life was. I drove a tractor and a combine and mowed hay and things like that. We had all sorts of equipment on our farm that was openly available.

I would be highly surprised if anyone made phone calls about it.

but did you use them for playing with friends who were not knowledgeable about how to use them-and did you have free access to use those items as you saw fit (not nesc. for their intended purpose)? i'm betting your parents also made you wear shoes when you used these.

it just puts me off when matt is snapping at the twins friends, and his own extended family who he has pressured into enlisting as free labor. i don't know how other people operate, but most i know are appreciative of those who give of their times and talents-they don't snarl at them, or snap at/comment about a lack of a work ethic-these are'nt his employees, he's not paying them-they are supposed friends-for the most part kids- and family volunteering time.

 

[Allison]

but did you use them for playing with friends who were not knowledgeable about how to use them-and did you have free access to use those items as you saw fit (not nesc. for their intended purpose)? i'm betting your parents also made you wear shoes when you used these.

Yes, I'm sure we did use things in the way we weren't supposed to. Kids do things like that and parents can't keep an eye on the kids 24 hours a day. My husband was shaking his head and smiling at what the boys were doing on the episode we saw last night. It's not any different than the kinds of things he did as a teenage boy. It made me cringe and I would be scared to death if my kids did it but I also know I didn't do everything by the book when I was a kid too.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

but did you use them for playing with friends who were not knowledgeable about how to use them-and did you have free access to use those items as you saw fit (not nesc. for their intended purpose)? i'm betting your parents also made you wear shoes when you used these.

it just puts me off when matt is snapping at the twins friends, and his own extended family who he has pressured into enlisting as free labor. i don't know how other people operate, but most i know are appreciative of those who give of their times and talents-they don't snarl at them, or snap at/comment about a lack of a work ethic-these are'nt his employees, he's not paying them-they are supposed friends-for the most part kids- and family volunteering time.

My Grandparents live on a farm. There is an incident involving my Sister, brother, two cousins, a tractor and diving off of it. My Grandparents knew they were using it. The farm was our playground. Our supervision was Grandma looking out the kitchen window at us. Sometimes I wish I could give my kids that freedom.

 

[kjs1976]

I love the show and think the family represents a typical family, with a plus...they have raised their kids with values and love and it shows. The parents have overcome great odds to lead a "normal" life, which is a great model to those of us who do not have those challenges, yet can do much smaller things to enrich our lives and our childrens lives. Questions like, Where do they get their money from? Why can't they clean up their house for TV? And questioning how safe the children are on the farm? PAAAA-LEEESSSE. Judge not lest ye be judged.

 

[disneysnowflake]

Most of you probably know this, but Matt was an Ewok on the Star Wars film and also 2 more films that George Lucas made about Ewok's.

I didn't know that Matt played an Ewok.

I really like this show. It's one of the few reality type shows on tv I can watch without bleeping out swear words, etc.

As for the kids running equipment and using power tools, I don't find anything wrong with it.

I find it funny when Jeremy goes to play soccer and Zach visits friends. Jeremy got his soccer ball signed for Zach, but Jeremy's hair was still longer and curly. Then when he handed the ball to Zach his hair was shorter. It's like the show taped one segment in the summer, and then staged the whole "I'm giving this autographed ball to you" segment after Jeremy got his haircut when school started.

I still love this show.

 

[Allison]

I find it funny when Jeremy goes to play soccer and Zach visits friends. Jeremy got his soccer ball signed for Zach, but Jeremy's hair was still longer and curly. Then when he handed the ball to Zach his hair was shorter. It's like the show taped one segment in the summer, and then staged the whole "I'm giving this autographed ball to you" segment after Jeremy got his haircut when school started.

I still love this show.

My husband and I picked up on that too.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

but did you use them for playing with friends who were not knowledgeable about how to use them-and did you have free access to use those items as you saw fit (not nesc. for their intended purpose)? i'm betting your parents also made you wear shoes when you used these.

it just puts me off when matt is snapping at the twins friends, and his own extended family who he has pressured into enlisting as free labor. i don't know how other people operate, but most i know are appreciative of those who give of their times and talents-they don't snarl at them, or snap at/comment about a lack of a work ethic-these are'nt his employees, he's not paying them-they are supposed friends-for the most part kids- and family volunteering time.

Except Matt and/or Amy DO pay the friends to work. If they're going to be payed, they should be expected to work and not goof around.